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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Game of Thrones, Season 2, Episode 7: A Man Without Honour

In Harenhal we have standard shots of grimness and cruelty.
Tywin is convinced that the death of his soldier (who
was going to reveal Arya’s note stealing last week) was an attack on him.
Ser Gregor the Mountain, who is not a Nice Man, is doing lots of hanging and
torturing assuming that the death was caused by “the Brotherhood”. And, yes I
agree with Tywin, that’s a ridiculously pretentious name.

He monologues away to Arya (who is awesome) about the war
and his legacy and some exposituion about the history of Harenhal while Arya
contemplates stabbing him in the back. But she joins in and reveals she knows
rather a lot about the history herself. Tywin pokes her that he knows she is of
noble birth but she continues to dance around him – I love how these two spar.

In Kings Landing Sansa approaches the Hound, Sandor
Clegane in the halls to thank him for rescuing her from last week’s riot. She
objects to how harsh and hateful he is – but his comeback is good as well, he
may be rough and unpleasant but his actions protected her - and he also subtly
made it clear he intends to stand between her and Joffrey.

Sansa wakes to find she has had her first period. With
Shae (who has clearly thrown her loyalty in with Sansa, at least against
Cersei) she tries to hide evidence of it (when she has her first period she is
considered old enough to marry Joffrey) and Shae threatens a servant to keep it
secret – but Clegane finds out and news reaches Cersei. Cersei discusses her
own pregnancies and giving borth – with the late King Robert’s indifference,
and her brother Jaime’s devotion. It’s also clear that whatever illusions Cersei
had about Joffrey are at very least dying. Cersei’s delusion and cynicism is
painful to see and extremely well acted – how love causes her to support people
even when she knows she shouldn’t (Joffrey, again) and how you shouldn’t love
anyone except your children – with whom you have no choice (again, the
bitterness over Joffrey).

Cersei and Tyrion have one of their pleasant little
meetings and they both discuss how they can’t control Joffrey. And Cersei
wonders if Joffrey is their punishment for Jaime and her’s incest (pretty much
confirming it to Tyrion even after he gives her the chance to pretend Robert is
his father). Tyrion comforts her with Tommen and Marcella – surprisingly sweet,
gentle children. It’s the first time we’ve seen these two act as siblings with
Tyrion moved by his sister’s grief.

At Robb’s camp, the Lannister messenger/prisoner returns
with news that Cersei is not accepting their peace terms, unsurprisingly. They
have so many prisoners they lack places to put them so Robb, in his honour
(gods save us from Stark honour!) decides to put him in the same cage as Jaime
Lannister. Talisa wants medical surprises and so will come with Robb to the
Cragg where he is negotiating a surrender. I predict more flirting.

The visiting Lannister and Jaime reminisce with the
visitor clearly hero worshipping Jaime. There’s lots of reminiscing and exposition
until Jaime reveals his escape plan – which involves Visiting Lannister dying (or
Jaime beating him to death). The gaoler (the son of Lord Karstark) comes in to
investigate… alone and gets a chain round his neck from Jaime.

If he escapes he doesn’t get far before being recaptured and Lord Karstark
demands his head – to be talked into delay by Catelyn (in a masterful speech)
to wait until Robb returns from accepting the Cragg’s surrender.

But anger grows through the night and Brienne says that the
Karstarks or their men will try to kill Jaime before dawn – and if that happens
who would fight to protect a Lannister? Catelyn goes for a dramatic
confrontation with Jaime – who has wonderful points to make about the conflicting
oaths a knight must swear in between insulting Brienne for being so tall and
broad and insulting Catelyn for Ned’s infidelity. Catelyn asks Brienne to give her her sword.

In Winterfell Theon wakes to discover that Bran and
Rickon have escaped. He is unhappy about this – which certainly makes me happy.
He is bemused that 2 disabled people (Hodor and Bran) can escape capture –
which shows both Theon’s demeaning attitude towards them and how very wrong he
is. So he calls up some horses and hounds to track them (what? Is he using
Winterfell hounds, they’re collaborating? Or do the Iron Isles – seafarers and
raiders – commonly have packs of dogs on their ships?). Theon is confident that
his sister’s 500 men can hold Winterfell (and that Ned Stark apparently believed
500 men could hold Winterfell against 10,000 – so I assume the a) Ned was exaggerating
and Theon didn’t realise or b) the castle has lasers or c) is actually a Transformer
because there’s no other way that’s likely).

They can’t find a scent – but Theon does find some nut
shells that Hordor was cracking for Rickon. And later we see him display the
charred bodies of 2 children

Up in the north, beyond the Wall, John the Pouty continues
his walking holiday with Ygritte rather than execute her. This may be up there
with most incredible screw up in the series. Ygritte continues the flirting and
taunting his virginity and whose ancestors were here first so deserve the land
and who is killing who unjustly, as you do. More talk of “freedom” and flirting
until she makes the inevitable escape attempt and run into a Wildling ambush.

Across the sea, Daenerys and Xaro are discussing Daenerys’s
missing dragons (never mind the slaughtered serving girls). Xaro makes it clear
how obviously he is not the culprit and how much he will work with her side by
side to get them back – her response is… not exactly diplomatic to say the least
and is carries more than a hint of tantrum about it.

Ser Jorah returns and, thankfully, we have some grief for
her dead and lost serving maids who have been with her so long through so much
and for the people she brought to Qarth. We also get to see a return of some of
Daenerys’s good sense – or self-pity – wondering exactly who her people are and
doubting the vision of the Seven Kingdoms people waiting for her return.

Ser Jorah goes to see Quaithe, the priestess of Assai in her mask – who knows many things,
including that Jorah betrayed Daenerys in the past. She says the one who stole
her dragons is with her now. Cut to Daenerys and she is with the 13, Xaros and
the Warlock. We get some surprises tere – the Warlock has taken the dragons and
they’re in the House of the Undying, and Xaros is the new king of Qarth – and the
13? Well they all have warlock clones with knives behind them who step forward
and slit their throats. Daenerys runs but is interrupted by another warlock
clone – Jorah stabs him in the back and empty clothes fall to the floor (seems
they’re not charlatans after all).

Ok this episode, I praise it for the lack of sex,
prostitutes and naked women (we had one back shot of a naked man all episode)
that’s a complete turnaround! If it weren’t for the fatc the season is already
shot I’d almost assume

But I have to criticise it for so very little happening.
There was a lot of foreshadowing, lots of talking, then a few concrete actions pushed in at the
back – we saw many people – Arya, Cersei, Tyrion, Robb, Tywin (even Sansa and
Shae) talking but doing very little. We spend a lot of time with Daenerys but
only on incident happens right at the end-
same with Theon. This episode seemed to drag